The Portland Trail Blazers are less than a month away from the start of training camp. While the Trail Blazers have little to no expectations for the upcoming season, they have a ton of young, hungry players ready to take the next step toward next season.
The Trail Blazers have a lot of young players on their roster, but their best and most dynamic player may be former lottery pick Scott Henderson. Henderson didn’t have the best rookie season last year; however, he still has all the talent and promise to come back from this season and lead the Trail Blazers back to a formidable team.
It won’t be an easy road, especially in a loaded Western Conference, but Henderson could make a lot of noise next season. According to Chris Dodson of ClutchPointsHenderson could be in the running for Most Improved Player votes.
“Henderson has a more average line in traditional stats this season, gaining some momentum as an NBA MIP candidate,” Dodson wrote.
Henderson’s rookie season is one to forget. He averaged 14.0 points per game, 3.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists on 38.5 percent shooting and 32.5 percent from three-point range.
Many fans and analysts wondered if the Trail Blazers made a mistake in drafting Henderson. He didn’t look as polished and polished as many predicted early on.
Even though his rookie season didn’t go as planned, it’s still too early to write off the 20-year-old. Henderson is a master of pressure and is an exceptional athlete who can compete with the best.
A Georgia native, Henderson was a five-star recruit out of Carlton J. Kell High School in Marietta. He received scholarships from Ole Miss, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Auburn and Georgia. Henderson ultimately declined all college offers and signed a two-year, $1 million contract with the NBA G League Ignite.
In 19 games with the Ignite, Henderson averaged 16.5 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 27.5 percent from three-point range in 20.7 minutes per game.
The Trail Blazers selected Henderson with the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. The 6-foot-3 point guard is ready to show that his rookie season fell short of what he can become as he enters his sophomore season.
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